Richard Roth: Inspectors voice frustration
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CNN's Richard Roth
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SPECIAL REPORT
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Chief U.N. weapons inspectors Mohamed ElBaradei and Hans Blix met Thursday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to discuss U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq.
CNN Correspondent Richard Roth filed the following report on the talks:
ROTH: There is frustration among the leading international arms inspectors on Iraq. Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei met here at 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Blair's residence, for a talk on those inspections. Inspectors haven't been able to find anything, though doors are open to them.
Along with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, the four men came out to pose for some photographs. Blix and ElBaradei are on their way back to Baghdad for the third time in three months.
And ElBaradei, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says once again, along with the Security Council, the two men will be asking for further cooperation from Iraq.
The meeting followed a 90-minute presentation Wednesday to the U.N. Security Council by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell detailing what Powell said was evidence of Iraqi violations of U.N. resolutions. The U.S. is threatening military action on Iraq if it fails to comply.
"The message ... coming from the Security Council is that time is very critical," ElBaradei said, "and that we need to show progress in our report, which will be due on the 14th of this month."
Blix and ElBaradei listened to Powell's presentation Wednesday in New York before flying on to London. Blix said he didn't know if his current journey to Iraq as chief weapons inspector would be his last. He said it could be if Iraq fails to abide by the resolution.
